P0303 on 2023-2025 Ford Escape: Cylinder 3 Misfire Causes and Fixes

What's Unique About the 2023-2025 Ford ESCAPE

The 2023-2025 Escape belongs to the fourth generation, which primarily uses a 1.5L 3-cylinder and 2.0L 4-cylinder EcoBoost engine. A key document, Ford TSB SSM 52630, directly addresses these engines in the 2023-2024 Escape for misfire codes including P0303. The bulletin instructs technicians to inspect the spark plugs, and if any are damaged, to use a borescope to inspect the cylinder walls for internal damage. This highlights that while a coil or plug is the likely culprit, Ford acknowledges the potential for a simple misfire to be a symptom of a more serious internal engine issue.

Diagnostic Flowchart

Tap your situation to follow the diagnostic path that matches what you're seeing on this vehicle.

Symptoms You May Notice

• Flashing or solid Check Engine Light
• Rough or vibrating idle
• Engine hesitation or stumbling during acceleration
• Noticeable loss of power
• Reduced fuel economy
• Smell of raw gasoline from the exhaust

Most Likely Causes

1. Faulty Ignition Coil 🔴 High Probability Ignition coils are common wear items on modern direct-injection, turbocharged engines due to high heat and vibration. TSBs for Ford's EcoBoost family, like SSM 53971, frequently point to ignition system components as a primary cause for misfires.
   How to confirm: Swap the ignition coil from cylinder 3 with another cylinder (e.g., cylinder 2). Clear the codes and drive the vehicle. If the code changes to P0302, the ignition coil is faulty.
   Typical fix: Replace the faulty ignition coil. It is often recommended to replace all coils at the same time for preventative maintenance.
   Est. part cost: $30 - $70
2. Worn or Damaged Spark Plug 🔴 High Probability Ford TSB SSM 52630 specifically calls for inspecting spark plugs on 2023-2024 Escapes with 1.5L and 2.0L engines that exhibit misfire codes. Turbocharged engines are harder on plugs, leading to shorter service intervals.
   How to confirm: After ruling out the ignition coil, remove the spark plug from cylinder 3. Inspect it for wear (worn electrode), carbon fouling (black soot), oil, or signs of coolant contamination (white, crusty residue). A wet appearance can indicate it's not firing at all. A damaged or worn plug needs replacement.
   Typical fix: Replace the spark plug. It is best practice to replace all spark plugs as a set to ensure even performance.
   Est. part cost: $10 - $25 per plug
3. Clogged or Faulty Fuel Injector 🟡 Medium Probability Direct injection (GDI) fuel injectors operate under high pressure and can be susceptible to carbon buildup over time, which can disrupt the fuel spray pattern and cause a misfire.
   How to confirm: This is more difficult to diagnose. A professional can perform a fuel injector balance test. 🎬 Watch: How to perform a power balance test with a scanner. A DIY method involves swapping the injector with another cylinder, but this is much more labor-intensive than swapping a coil and not recommended for beginners.
   Typical fix: Replace the faulty fuel injector. Sometimes, a professional fuel system cleaning can resolve the issue.
   Est. part cost: $50 - $150

Rare But Worth Checking

• Internal Engine Coolant Leak: This was a notorious issue on previous generation (pre-2020) 1.5L and 2.0L 4-cylinder EcoBoost engines due to a block design flaw. The 2023+ Escape 1.5L uses a different 3-cylinder 'Dragon' engine which features both port and direct injection, making it less susceptible to this specific defect and to carbon buildup. However, for the 2.0L engine, the risk, while reduced, is not zero. If the spark plug from cylinder 3 has white deposits and you are experiencing coolant loss with no visible external leaks, this is a strong possibility that requires immediate professional diagnosis, as it could require engine replacement.
• Low Engine Compression: On a newer vehicle this is unlikely, but mechanical issues like a burnt valve, damaged piston ring, or cylinder wall damage can cause a misfire. This would be confirmed with a compression test after ruling out ignition and fuel system faults. TSB SSM 52630's instruction to borescope the cylinder after finding a damaged plug points to this as a possibility Ford wants technicians to check for.

Diagnosis Steps

1. Read the code with an OBD-II scanner to confirm P0303 is the primary code. Note if the Check Engine Light is flashing, which indicates a severe misfire.
2. To easily identify the faulty component, swap the ignition coil from cylinder 3 to an adjacent cylinder (e.g., cylinder 2).
3. Clear the diagnostic codes using the scanner.
4. Start the engine and let it run for a few minutes, or take a short drive.
5. Re-scan for codes. If the code has moved to P0302, the ignition coil you moved is the culprit and needs to be replaced.
6. If the code remains P0303, the issue is not the coil. Proceed to inspect the spark plug.
7. Remove the spark plug from cylinder 3. Check for excessive wear, damage, or deposits. Black soot suggests a rich condition or fouling, while white, crusty deposits are a strong indicator of a coolant leak. If it looks bad, replace it. It's best to replace all plugs at once.
🎬 Watch: Step-by-step spark plug and coil replacement for the 1.5L engine.
8. If the spark plug appears physically damaged (cracked ceramic, bent electrode), Ford TSB SSM 52630 recommends a borescope inspection of the cylinder walls for damage. This step should be performed by a professional.
9. If the coil and plug are good, the issue may be a fuel injector or a more serious mechanical problem. At this stage, professional diagnosis is recommended.

Parts You'll Likely Need

• Ignition Coil (OEM #P2GZ-12029-A) — This is the most frequent cause of a single-cylinder misfire and is the easiest part to diagnose by swapping. This part number fits both the 1.5L and 2.0L EcoBoost engines for this generation.
  Trusted brands: Motorcraft, NGK, Bosch, Delphi
  OEM price range: $50-$90
  Aftermarket price range: $30-$70
• Spark Plug (OEM #SP-597-X) — As a primary ignition component and a known issue cited in a Ford TSB for this vehicle, a worn or fouled spark plug is a very common cause. This Motorcraft part number fits both the 1.5L and 2.0L EcoBoost engines for the 2023-2025 model years.
  Trusted brands: Motorcraft, NGK, Denso
  OEM price range: $15-$30
  Aftermarket price range: $10-$25

Related Codes That Often Appear With This One

• P0300 — If multiple cylinders are misfiring randomly, a P0300 (Random/Multiple Cylinder Misfire) code may appear alongside P0303, pointing to a more systemic issue like a vacuum leak or low fuel pressure.
• P0301, P0302, P0304 — If other specific cylinder misfire codes are present, it could indicate a common problem affecting all cylinders, such as poor fuel quality or a failing component that serves multiple cylinders.
• P0316 — This code indicates a misfire was detected within the first 1,000 engine revolutions on startup. It often appears with a P030x code and can sometimes be caused by a software issue requiring a PCM update from the dealer.

Technical Service Bulletins (TSBs) & Recalls

• SSM 52630: Mentions 2023-2024 Escape 1.5L/2.0L EcoBoost engines exhibiting misfire codes (P0301-P0304) and advises inspection of spark plugs and potentially cylinder walls.
• SSM 53971: Mentions P0303 on 2.3L EcoBoost engines in other models due to spark plugs/ignition coils.
• TSB 24-2384: Mentions P0303 on 2.3L EcoBoost engines in other models.

Platform-Specific Known Issues

• A Ford Technical Service Bulletin (SSM 52630) was issued for 2023-2024 Escape models with 1.5L and 2.0L EcoBoost engines that may exhibit an engine misfire with codes like P0303. The bulletin advises technicians to inspect the spark plugs, and critically, to use a borescope to inspect the cylinder walls for damage if any spark plug is found to be damaged.

Mechanic-Grade Diagnostic Values

• Ignition Coil Primary Resistance — expected: 0.4 - 1.0 ohms. Failure: A reading outside this range, especially an open circuit (infinite resistance), indicates a failed coil.
• Ignition Coil Secondary Resistance — expected: 5,500 - 11,500 ohms (5.5k - 11.5k ohms). Failure: A reading significantly outside this range suggests the coil's secondary winding is faulty.
• Low-Side Fuel Pressure (Key On, Engine Off) — expected: 70 - 95 PSI. Failure: Pressure that is significantly lower may indicate a weak in-tank fuel pump.
• High-Side Fuel Pressure (Idle) — expected: ~250 - 400 PSI. Failure: Inability to build pressure could point to a failed high-pressure fuel pump (HPFP), though this would likely cause multiple cylinder misfires (P0300).
• Mode $06 Misfire Count for Cylinder 3 — expected: 0 or a very low number over the last 10 drive cycles.. Failure: A high or rapidly increasing count for cylinder 3 confirms an intermittent misfire is occurring, even if it's not constant enough to keep the CEL on.

Hidden / Shadow Codes Worth Checking

• Mode 6, Test ID $53 (or $A2-$A7 on newer models): This is not a DTC but a specific monitor within the OBD-II system's Mode 6 data. It tracks the raw misfire count per cylinder for the current and last ten driving cycles. A high count for cylinder 3 (e.g., TID $A4 for cylinder 3) can pinpoint an intermittent misfire before it's severe enough to set a persistent P0303 code. (see via Requires a scan tool capable of reading Mode 6 data, such as FORScan software with a compatible OBD-II adapter.)

Scan Tool Commands That Help

• Ford IDS, FORScan: Power Balance Test / Cylinder Contribution Test — This is a critical diagnostic function that graphically displays the power contribution of each cylinder in real-time. A technician can use this to visually confirm that cylinder 3 is underperforming compared to the others, which is definitive proof of a misfire. It helps verify the problem exists before swapping parts.

OEM Part Supersession History

• CM5Z-12029-K → P2GZ-12029-A — Part revision or supplier change. P2GZ-12029-A is specified for 2023+ Escapes.
  Heads up: While both parts may physically fit, using the specified part number for the vehicle's model year and engine is critical to ensure correct dwell time and voltage characteristics as programmed in the PCM.

Model Year Variations Within This Range

• 2023: For the 2.0L EcoBoost engine, TSB 23-2275 addresses a misfire issue with a PCM update, but it only applies to vehicles built before May 25, 2023. Vehicles built after this date should have the updated software from the factory.